Tuesday, May 14, 2013

Stardust Summer Virtual Book Tour and Giveaway

Stardust Summer

by Lauren
Clark

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

BLURB:

Single
mom Grace Mason doesn’t believe in miracles, magic, or love at first sight. She
likes the quiet life, complete with her eight-year-old son, their tiny house,
and her teaching job. For Grace, happiness means that nothing much ever changes
in Ocean Springs, Mississippi.

Then,
one thousand miles away, tragedy strikes. A massive heart attack leaves Grace’s
estranged father comatose in an Upstate New York hospital. While a team of
doctors fight to keep Henry Mason alive, Grace and Evan rush to his bedside to
say their final goodbyes.

Henry’s
passing brings little closure for Grace, but she finds herself inexplicably
drawn to her new surroundings. What begins as a short trip results in an entire
summer spent with Henry’s second wife, Kathleen, and her next-door neighbor,
Ryan Gordon, the town doctor. When a series of unlikely events lead to Evan’s
disappearance, Grace must face her worst fears to find her son and bring him
back home.

Stardust
Summer explores the complexities of forgiveness, what it means to be a family,
and the fabulous possibility of falling in love—again.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Excerpt
Three: Chapter Three

Kathleen woke with her head pressed to the tablecloth. She
jerked awake at a loud noise outside.

It was the sound of a boat engine churning on the lake, a
quarter-mile away. She listened for the cast and pull of a fishing line, the
rhythmic whirr of a reel. All familiar sounds, all part of her world. The
noises were usually soothing.

This morning, only a dull ache existed. She felt as if a
hammer had been buried in her brain.

Kathleen's eyes pricked with tears. She fumbled to find her
watch and look at the time. Already eight-fifteen in the morning. She needed to
call Keuka College and let everyone know. She had to cancel the library
dedication.

And there was Grace. Kathleen had to deliver the news about
her father, and make sure she was coming to the funeral.

Henry's daughter, whom she'd spoken to hours before. The
same woman she'd reassured that her father was okay. Resting comfortably.
Stable. The doctors are doing all they can.

Kathleen's hands shook. She fumbled through papers to find
her stepdaughter's contact information. Anyone else would have it memorized, a
little voice played in her head.

But finally, beneath a tumble of scratch pads and pens,
stuck to a yellow post-it note, was a small white card with Henry’s writing.

Her breath caught in her throat when she saw it. Grace at
school, the paper said, with ten numbers scrawled beneath it. Her hands shook
as she punched the keys, one by one, and listened to the ringing, waiting for
someone to answer.

An operator’s voice came through clearly with a hint of
Southern drawl in the greeting. Kathleen hesitated, gathering her thoughts, and
the woman patiently repeated her greeting, this time, with more of a question
in her voice.

Following a deep breath, Kathleen let the words spill out.
She needed to speak to her stepdaughter, it was an emergency, and could she
please find her. Immediately, music blared. Kathleen held the phone out at
arm’s length and shut her eyes at the noise, waiting. She couldn’t think of
what to say, or how to say it.

When the music stopped and Kathleen heard Grace answer, it
stopped her cold. Hers was such a grown up, confident voice, and a person she
didn’t know very well.

Grace paused expectantly for Kathleen to talk. The sound of
children, chattering and giggling, echoed in the background.

"I'm calling about your father. He seemed to be doing
better. He was stable, and then, last night, he had another stroke."
Kathleen inhaled and made herself say the next sentence. "The
doctors...I'm so sorry, Grace," her voice broke, "he didn't make
it."

Kathleen closed her eyes tightly, trying to shut out the
pain in Grace’s voice. The syllables she heard were cutting and sharp, bending
at the end into tears.

After the sobs and exclamations of disbelief, there were
questions. Patiently, Kathleen tried her best to answer each one. Grief washed
over Kathleen again, listening to her stepdaughter mourn.

She had never felt so helpless.

n the end, though, it was done. And Grace, who'd sworn
she would never visit her father again, was finally coming home for Henry

AUTHOR Bio and Links:

Lauren Clark
writes contemporary novels sprinkled with sunshine, suspense, and secrets. A
former TV news anchor, Lauren adores flavored coffee, local book stores, and
anywhere she can stick her toes in the sand. Her big loves are her family,
paying it forward, and true-blue friends.

Lauren is a
member of the Gulf Coast Writers Association, the Mobile Writers Guild, and a
regular contributor to Parents & Kids Magazine's Mississippi Gulf Coast
Edition. Check out her website at www.laurenclarkbooks.com.

Lauren will be awarding winner's choice of either Dancing Naked in Dixie or Stay Tuned (in .mobi .pdf or .epub) to a randomly drawn commenter at each stop. Also, a $20 gift card to Amazon or BN.com (winner's choice) will be awarded to two randomly drawn commenters during the tour and a signed paperback copy of Dancing Naked in Dixie and Swag will be awarded to two randomly drawn commenters during the tour (USA ONLY). Make sure you leave a comment and your email address to have a chance to win!

Knit something for someone special today!

This book had projects for everyone. From felting, to regular knitting and crochet, this book has many different styles to inspire you.

Gifted is based on the premise of small, quick gift items and I can think of no other book for some fast holiday knitting or crocheting. The Felted Heart Milagros project on the cover is one of my favorites! The instructions are easy to understand for an intermediate knitter such as myself.

The projects are arranged in two groups. Gifts for the Body focuses on wearable projects. There are scarves, earmuffs, hats and more. Gifts for the Soul has scissor sleeves,a pincushion and adorable crochet flowers.

If you are trying to learn a new technique, this book is for you. The projects are small and portable and work out quickly.

There are recipes from author Mags Kandis and great photographs to inspire you while you knit one of a kind gifts that are sure to delight someone special.